Monday, June 19, 2017

Dead On Arrival: Chapter 14- Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 14: Behind Closed Doors

I stood in what look like a cafeteria now surrounded by strangers. A big room with tables, countertops of food and people. More people I had seen in days. Weirdly enough I had stuck with the group who I was quarantined with. I guess you could say we were bounded now due to our previous predicament. Human nature was funny like that. It almost felt like I was back in high school again in some type of weird clique, but I didn’t bother to chat with them. I couldn’t because I couldn’t take my eyes off the double doors. Every time they opened I prepared myself to see him and every minute that went by I prepared myself to hear bad news. It was agonizing. Where on earth was Nathan?

It made me feel a little better that I wasn’t alone in my feelings. Omar and Lin watched for their love ones as well. Omar with his wife. Lin with her brother. The three of us sat there for what seemed like hours holding our breaths as the doors open and instantly deflating into the look of utter disappointment when they closed behind some nameless face.

As for Madison and Wade, well food were on their minds. Especially Wade’s. He devoured his portions and stared at Madison’s while picking his teeth with his beloved toothpick. Madison on other hand seemed more interested in picking at her food than eating it, but she looked up long enough to glare at Wade letting him know she had no interest giving it to him. I found some delight in that.

Luckily, my delight turned into pure joy when I saw a very familiar face finally walk into the cafeteria. Nathan in the flesh. He was talking with some doctor, but it didn’t take him long to break away from him and see me. You wouldn’t think his ankle wasn’t even hurt as fast he ran over to me. He was smiling ear to ear like his usual self. He practically collided into me as we embraced, but for once I didn’t mind. I hugged him back wrapping my arms around him as tight as I could. He tensed up surprised by my reaction but relaxed laughing. He then pulled back ruffling my hair.

“Who’s your friends, Matty?“

“Huh? Friends?“

I looked behind me and I was quickly reminded we weren’t alone. In fact, the whole table seemed to be staring at us. They exchanged surprised and confused looks.

“Well hello, there beautiful. Yes, but they tell me I’m the better looking one,” he joked winking. “But what’s your name? My name is Nathan, but you can call me Nate anytime you want darling.” He then grabbed her hand kissing it.

She smiled, “It’s Lin and if you do that again I’ll kick you in the fucking balls.”

“Um….duly noted”, Nathan said backing away.

“And your brother owes me a pair of heels!”

“Heels?”

“Don’t ask. Just don’t”, I muttered. “I also recall a certain female being the cause of that….”

“Hey. I saved your life you ungrateful jerk,” Madison shrilled playfully pushing me as she jumped up from her seat.

“Anyway, It’s nice to meet you, Nathan. The resemblance is uncanny”, she said smirking. “But my name is Madison. We had the pleasure of being stuck in a room with your brother.”

“Oh. You mean he had the pleasure of being stuck in a room with you right? I’m certainly jealous,” Nate cooed eyeing her.

Wade snorted, “Oh for fuck sake. Why don’t you just both fuck her and get it over with? Fucking Olsen twins.”

“Oh, an asshole? What’s your name?”

“It’s Wade. Ignore him please,” I warned.

“Will do, but next time he makes a crack like that regarding a lady I’ll shove that toothpick up his nose!”

Lin scoffed, “I think you should really give up toothpicks, Wade. They’re really proving to be hazardous to your health.”

Madison glanced at us smiling trying to stifle her laughter. I rolled my eyes thinking about my similar insult towards Wade. It was annoying how much we thought alike sometimes. Nathan just stood back looking from one to the other stupidly confused.

“Where’s Omar? I asked becoming aware of his absence.

"He went to the doctor guy about his wife I think. He caught up with him right after Nathan came in,” Madison answered.

Armed soldiers rushed in one by one ordering the room to line up single file and exit. We did as we were told, but I kept a close eye on Nathan pushing him in front of me. We then were told to stand in the hallway as they paired us off and assigned us room numbers. I remained close to Nathan eyeing the guards during the process, but they paired us up without any hesitation. It appeared that families were being grouped together while lone survivors were paired together by gender. In the shuffle, I lost track of Lin and Wade, but Madison was paired with another woman with blonde hair. I didn’t get see what room number they were given. The guards very forcefully pushed us down the hall and towards our assigned room.

We entered the room and the door slammed behind us. The familiar sound of a lock clicking echoed in the room. Then the sound of an intercom blared.

CURFEW COMMENCING! NO NON-PERSONAL SHALL NOT BE OUT OF THEIR SLEEPING QUARTERS AT THIS TIME! IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY PLEASE USE THE EMERGENCY BUTTON. THANK YOU!

“Curfew? Emergency button? And fuck did they just lock us in?” Nathan grumbled.

I sighed, “This place is feeling more and more like a prison.”

I looked around at the sterile room before us. White walls surrounded us. Only a bunk bed, a toilet, and a sink filled the room. There were no windows. No other doors or exit. Only the emergency button and the intercom decorated the walls. The room looked like a cell.

“Well, this is fun. I think I would like to go back to the apartment now.”

“This place makes it look like a mansion,” I groaned as I laid eyes on two sets of folded clothes on the bed. “But I guess we should get comfortable. Doesn’t look like we going anywhere tonight.”

“Well, how was your day then?”

“Shitty. Yours?”

“Shitty, but I bet mines was shitter,” Nathan said cutting his eyes at me folding his arms.

I sighed, “Shoot…”

“In the infirmary, I killed a walker with my bare hands and a drawer while being handcuffed to a bed.”

“You killed a walker without my help?” I said half joking and half surprised.

“Don’t be an ass. I had to,” he shrugged looking bothered for a moment. “Your day?”

“I helplessly watched a poor woman get her arm bitten into by her turned fiancé. Then I was almost killed by that fiancé. All while being stuck in quarantine.”

“Madison saved you right?”

“Yeah. Basically.”

“Then that’s no shitty day, man. A hot chick saved you.”

“Did you hear me? A woman died on my watch and I was almost killed!"

"But a hot chick saved you!”

"You’re an idiot…”

Our banter continued like that off and on through the night. Neither could sleep and neither had any desire to considering what when been through. When a knock on the door came late into the night we were prepared for the worse. We stood quietly side by side waiting with baited breath as the lock clicked. Both ready to fight just in case. Then Madison’s head peered in cautiously.

“Oh good. I got the right room,” she said looking relieved. She then held up a key card beaming with pride. “Come on boys. Time to take a midnight tour of this place.”

No poll again! Again I almost made a novel with this one chapter, but I felt like it would be better told through two chapters. The next chapter will be them exploring the place. Then back to Audrey and Vince. Shit is about to get crazy for both groups, so be prepared. Also, the outcome of shaking hands with the doctor will be addressed in the next chapters.

P.S. I will also be working on posting new chapters Tuesday rather than Sunday due to the increased activity in my house on weekends. >_<